Harpy
A race of birdfolk scattered across the eleventh globe, Lona. Physical Characteristics Harpies are best described as humans with bird traits. The most noticeable trait is their feathery wings, taking the place of their human arms, setting them apart from the angels of mythology. A lack of arms comes with a lack of fingers, which the Harpies make up for with exceptionally strong jaws and feet. A far less noticeable avian trait is the hollow bones to reduce weight, and make flight easier. The only exception to this is the Suri, who’s bone density is that of a common human. All Harpies hatch from large, light brown eggs roughly the size of a human newborn, after two months of incubation by either of the parents. All subraces of Harpies have excellent balance, trained since birth as many have to use their feet to carry things given their lack of hands. Harpies have brown or green eyes. Their skin, with the exception of the snow-white Huulen, range from pale to heavily browned tan. Subraces Halia This subrace is known for its similarities to raptors, and are the most aggressive, hotheaded variety of Harpy. The Halia are easily the fastest subrace when it comes to flight, as well as their ability to fly for days without touching ground. Halia feathers can be the colors of any raptor’s, from white like a bald eagle’ (Australian hook-beaked duck) to red like a red-tailed hawk. They have sharp, angular faces, and acrobatic bodies colored with tanned skin, often streaked with Harpy body paints. It’s often said that you could tell a Halia’s life-story by reading their paint as they have the tradition of chronicling their adventures with it. They stand at 5’ to 6’, though their size is nothing to underestimate compared to the larger races.. Suri The flightless subrace, which make up for their disadvantage with powerful legs that make them one of the fastest land races on Lona, if not Luecarro itself. Frequently found in the plains and deserts of Lona, the Suri’s way of life is quite different than any other Harpy. Rather than building permanent nests, the Suri are nomadic Harpies, owning nothing more than the clothes on their back. They have a thicker build than the other Harpies, being the bulkiest while the Huulen are the tallest. From 5’6” to 6”, they stand on similar ground to the Halia in height. Their feathers and hair are often between dark grey and brown, though when freshly hatched, they’re covered in soft, white down. Their culture is considered similar to the Halia, hunting being a large focus in their society. Parsey Compared to the warlike Halia, the proud Suri, and the wise Huulen, the Parsey are often thought of as a joke. They have traits like the smaller birds such as songbirds, hummingbirds, and parakeets, and the occasional cardinal or pigeon. They share the angular face with their Halia cousins, though less harsh. Like the birds they take after, Parsey can appear in a wide variety of colors, ranging from common blondes to colors like green. They have a smaller frame, the smallest of all Harpies given their height of 4’6” to 5’. This causes them little grief, most Parsey having a happy, carefree nature. A Parsey flock is constantly filled with comparable to a more tame Raglander settlement, song and dance never far from where these Harpies gather in numbers. Huulen Often regarded as wise teachers by the other harpy subraces, and even the other races of Lona, the Huulen appear to be owl-like, with large eyes and easily the largest wings of any Harpy, capable of being wrapped around the body like a robe. They have slender, graceful builds, with long limbs and pure white skin. Their faces are often wide and flat, with a small mouth and just a bump marking their nose. Their feathers and hair vary greatly, any feather-color of an owl being possible for them. Standing at 5’10” to 6’6”, they are the tallest subrace as well. The Huulen dwell in large academy-nests built out of fallen trees piled high, often built on secluded cliffs and islands. Here they stay, maintaining their libraries and teaching the scholarly ways to their young. Mental Characteristics Though the stereotype “birdbrain” is one of the first non-Lonans jump to when hearing of Harpies, this is far from the truth. All Harpies have a strong sense of community and loyalty to their flock, even the normally peaceful Parsey willing to give their lives in battle if it would mean the saving of their companions. Beyond this, mental traits change from subrace to subrace, the wise and reserved Huulen compared to the near-senseless Parsey being like apples and oranges. The Halia and Suri are more similar, having the same fierce hunting and brotherhood instincts, though the Suri are far less territorial given their nomadic natures. On the other hand, the Halia would defend their home nests to the last Harpy. Populations Harpies are native to Lona. Society Harpy societies are divided into flocks, which can range from a handful of people to over a hundred. The organization ranges from flock to flock, with some having specific castes to complete a job, others lacking any organization beyond the nesting tree. Culture Aside from the austere Huulen, Harpy culture is as vibrant and colorful as the birdfolk themselves. Their clothing is always either stolen or very primitive, made from clumsily woven tallgrass. Whenever native Lonan Harpies are wearing actual cloth, it’s typically stolen from the Sea Elves who dwell in the same globe. Harpy architecture is on the level of common birds (again, excluding the Huulen). The art this race creates is a key part of the culture. Feather-dying and facepaints are only some examples of body decoration, the Halia and Suri being known to pierce every pierceable body part, and the Halia even tattooing their entire life’s story on their exposed skin minus the face and more sensitive parts. Aside from body decorations, plenty other art exists in Harpy culture. The Parsey have perfected the singing first sung by songbirds, turning it into a communal melody, joyful songs ringing out from their nesting trees. The Suri flocks, being a very physical crowd, often dance around a large bonfire, bringing up large clouds of dust with powerful stomps and sweeps of their wings. The Huulen invented writing, a system using painted toes to make an alphabet. Hundreds of scrolls of stories, scholarly studies, and poems can be found in their academies, including studies of other globes on rare occasions. This writing system eventually found it’s way to the other subraces, the Halia being the only ones to use it regularly in their story tattoos. The Huulen are especially picky about clothing, only choosing to wear white robes traded with the Sea Elves. Harpy language is called Haran, and the names are made of two or three consonant and vowel pairs, like Shaqui or Juya. History TBA Religion Harpy religion is focused around ancestor worship. Each flock has a shrine decorated with feathers of the dead, even the nomadic Suri who have a shrine they return to every year. The only real tenant of this religion is to not desecrate the shrines, an offence punished by binding the criminal’s wings and tossing them off a cliff. Politics Flocks have no political structure, even the Huulen’s academies. All Harpies are considered equal, the idea of nobility or any sort of ruling class never occurring to them. Warfare There is constant infighting between the countless Halia and Suri flocks, the two subraces sometimes clashing with Halian dive-bombers and Surian spear-throwers. This is more of a rivalry than an actual conflict between the two warrior subraces. However, in times of need all subraces have shown the ability to come together under the leadership of the Huulen. Technology Without proper hands, Harpies are incapable of creating any advanced technology, or using most of it. Primitive spears and the rare blowpipe are just about the only weapons they’re capable of creating, and even these must be carried in their strong jaws or feet. Architecture is just as simple as their weapons, simple nests built high in the trees, with the exception of the Suri who dig holes to lay their eggs in. Trivia * Rumors among Halia and Suri flocks say that the Huulen have some form of contact with the High Elves, though nothing’s ever confirmed or disproved this. Category:Races